The Prince and Princess of Wales have unveiled the touching photo they’ve selected for their official 2024 Christmas card, featuring their family of five in Norfolk.
The heartfelt image, which had previously been seen, is taken from a video released by Princess Kate in September. That video marked her return to public life after completing chemotherapy following her cancer diagnosis earlier this year. The Christmas card was shared on social media with a message reading, “Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas,” while the inside conveys: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.”
This release coincides with the announcement that William, Kate, and their children will not be attending the royal family’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, held today.
A royal source revealed that the Wales family is already in Norfolk, as planned, and looks forward to joining other royals for Christmas celebrations at Sandringham. The Buckingham Palace lunch is a private gathering for senior royals and extended family who will not be attending festivities at the King’s Norfolk estate.
Among those spotted arriving at the Palace were King Charles and Queen Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, as well as Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie with their respective husbands, Edo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank. While William and Kate have attended this event in previous years, such as 2018 and 2019, it was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
Over the years, the Wales family’s Christmas cards have varied in tone. Last year, the card featured a formal portrait of the family, dressed in matching white shirts and dark denim jeans. By contrast, their 2022 card presented a casual shot of the family holding hands during a walk in Norfolk.
In 2021, the card captured a moment from their private holiday in Jordan, a place particularly meaningful to Kate as she spent part of her childhood there while her father worked for British Airways. The 2020 card showed the family in a relaxed setting at Anmer Hall, their country home near Sandringham.
This year’s card comes at the end of a particularly challenging year for the family, as Kate underwent cancer treatment. In a deeply personal video released earlier, Kate announced she had completed chemotherapy and was focused on staying “cancer free.” She also expressed her eagerness to return to public duties, saying she looked forward to engaging in more royal engagements in the coming months.
In recent weeks, Kate has gradually resumed her royal commitments. She participated in Remembrance events, attended Wimbledon during the men’s final, joined Trooping the Colour in June, and contributed to the Qatar state visit in early December.
Earlier this month, at her annual Christmas Carol Concert at Westminster Abbey, she reflected on the difficulties of 2024, telling singer Paloma Faith, “I didn’t know this year was going to be the year I’ve just had.” When Faith responded with “the unplanned,” Kate agreed, saying, “The unplanned, exactly. But I think lots of people this year have had such challenging times.”
Prince William also opened up about the hardships faced by the family this year. Speaking in Cape Town during his Earthshot Prize Awards trip, he praised both his father, King Charles, and his wife, Kate, for their strength during such a difficult period.
Referring to the past year as an annus horribilis—Latin for “terrible year”—he admitted, “Honestly? It’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year of my life. So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult. But I’m so proud of my wife and my father for handling the challenges they’ve faced. From a personal family perspective, it’s been brutal.”